India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the upcoming two-Test tour of Sri Lanka after failing to recover fully from a knee injury.
With Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi likely to receive his maiden senior national call-up. Nabi has been approved as Bumrah’s replacement and is poised to become only the third cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn a senior India call-up, after Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik, both of whom represented the country in white-ball cricket.
“Bumrah is not fit and Auqib Nabi has been approved as his replacement,” a BCCI source told PTI.
The 24-year-old has been one of the standout performers in domestic cricket, claiming more than 100 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons while playing a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s impressive red-ball campaign. He is also regarded as a capable lower-order batter.
Bumrah’s knee injury has turned out to be more serious than initially anticipated. The Sports Science and Medical team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru has decided against rushing India’s premier fast bowler back into Test cricket, keeping in mind a packed international schedule.
“The two people who run the COE, Dhananjay and Thulasi, have decided that Bumrah can’t be risked. Initially, both the team management and the selection committee believed he could be available for at least one of the two Tests,” the source said.
The two-match Test series begins in Galle on August 15, with the second Test scheduled in Colombo from August 23.
Bumrah sustained an impact injury during the third ODI against England at Lord’s last month and subsequently reported to the Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation. While he was initially expected to regain match fitness before the Sri Lanka series, he continues to experience discomfort.
Even if he recovers before the start of the series or the second Test, the medical team remains cautious about bringing him back directly into the longest format, considering the heavy workload fast bowlers endure in Test cricket.
Before Nabi’s name was finalised, Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur was also under consideration as Bumrah’s replacement.
India’s injury concerns extend beyond Bumrah. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar are all expected to miss at least the opening Test because of hamstring injuries.
Meanwhile, B Sai Sudharsan is progressing steadily in his recovery from a foot injury sustained during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka. The left-hander has resumed batting sessions of around 75 minutes at the Centre of Excellence, with a decision on his availability expected in the coming days.
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